The Bulletin Index

(1876-1949)

The Bulletin was founded in 1876 by John
Wesley Black, who had been a
reporter with the old Pittsburg Telegraph. The paper was
originally
known as The East End Bulletin. Black wrote the first
edition out by hand and distributed copies in person to each of his
six subscribers at the time. When Black finally bought his first printing
press for $11, it wasn't long before his Baptist grandmother smashed it
because she considered the press to be an instrument of the devil.

Black described his Bulletin as "A Weekly Journal of Social & Literary
Life," in which he would present personal commentary on local
contemporary issues and activities. One of its features was The
Rambler, which consisted of short commentaries delivered in a high
moral tone. For example, it would editorialize on such topics as the
insanitation of kissing and the wickedness of the striker. But the
accent was really on society news, presenting columns on music, art,
drama, and fashion. Criticism was rare, but praise was plentiful as in
this musical review: "Mr. John Gernert won much favor with his violin
solos and narrowly escaped an encore." It is said that The Bulletin
lived up to its reputation as the prime indicator of the city's social
prestige.

In 1892, The Bulletin changed its subtitle to "A Weekly Journal for
the Home," and photographic layouts were increased. In fact, it was the
first Pittsburgh publication that made extensive reproductive use of
local photographers. Columns began to appear which featured fiction
writing, and
frequent contributors consisted of writers such as Christopher Morley,
Margaret Deland and James Whitcomb Riley.

When John Black died in 1898, his wife took over and added a section
on business. Soon after, in 1912, a year in which one million American
workingmen carried IWW cards, the paper took on a new look and dropped
its Weekly Journal for the Home subtitle. The Rambler column took
on a
pro-Labor stance and advocated a minimum wage law for Pittsburgh.

In 1917, the paper, now known as The Pittsburgh Bulletin, became "A
Journal of Life's Finer Side." Then the news column, The Rambler,
was replaced in 1921 by an editorial page. During the mid-twenties,
Pittsburgh newspapers began to merge. Although T. Howard Black, son of
John Wesley Black, had fought successfully to stay afloat for years, he
finally sold the paper in 1929.

The Bulletin began its new career under new management with an implied
expose, written in installments, by Harvey B. Gaul. Entitled, "The
Untold Story of Mary Copley Thaw," it attracted much attention and
considerable
legal pressure to prohibit publication of the final installment. Harvey
Gaul was unable to live up to his audience's expectations, however, and
the expected sensational ending never appeared.

Fortunately, the new publisher was able to pay off all the paper's
debts. The next plan would be to maneuver the take-over of The
Bulletin's chief rival, The Index.

The Index was founded in 1895 and enjoyed a dozen years under
the able editorship of Robert Galloway Paul. Eventually, however, the
paper's
ownership and editorship would go through frequent changes. Its most famous
editor was Frank Gannett of the Gannett newspaper chain. Most of The
Index's contents were devoted to society news, poetry, art, fiction,
amusements, and shopping. The New York and Princeton Letters were
printed every week for the first fifteen years, and Willa Cather
corresponded from Washington with her Winter Sketches from the
Capital.

In 1905, The Index proclaimed itself "Pittsburgh's Illustrated Weekly"
and introduced a cover picture. In an effort to attract a wider
audience, a full page of editorial comment was added, as well as coverage
on Current Events. As automobiles were then enjoying popularity, a
weekly segment of Automobile Quips was added.

The subtitle was changed in 1916 to "Pittsburgh's Illustrated &
Society Weekly." Most of the feature articles, fiction, and poetry were
dispensed with. By 1923, the paper had diminished in length and, by
1929, The Index was exclusively a society paper.

In February 1930, The Index merged with The Bulletin and became The
Bulletin Index. In 1931, the Spectator ("Pittsburgh's smart
magazine") and the Western Pennsylvania Golfer were incorporated into The
Bulletin Index. A young, aspiring novelist by the name of John Henry
O'Hara was recruited in 1933 from his Manhattan job at Time magazine in
order to transform The Bulletin Index into a regional weekly newsmagazine
similar to Time. Within four months of his arrival, O'Hara managed
to insult some of the most renowned names in Pittsburgh society with his
"acid prose." Thereafter, The Bulletin Index set about analyzing and
rehashing old news.

In 1937, several reporters were hired who instigated a series of long,
original stories about life in Pittsburgh. During these fast-moving
transitional times, the magazine made many enemies, particularly among
those who did not appreciate its attitude toward some "sacred" Pittsburgh
institutions. Those readers who relied on the magazine's honest news
reporting were resentful of the space allotted to society news.
Likewise, society people were incensed at the loss of decorum and
attention paid to their interests. As one reader noted in 1937, "It's
the magazine you love to hate and hate to love."

In addition, The Bulletin Index was now fraught with technical and
factual errors. In 1938, a policy of checking galley proofs with the
people concerned was instituted, and this reduced the number of errors
significantly. A couple years later, under Robert C. Alberts, procedures
were implemented to reduce typographical errors. By 1940, "rewrite"
material also began to disappear, making The Bulletin Index news much
less susceptible to claims of redundancy and inaccuracy.

The 1940s produced some noteworthy special issues, including an annual
"industrial issue," which became the traditional authority on Business
and Industry. In 1942, ownership was taken over by a corporation which
sold the paper to an ad-man and publicist in 1945. In order to save on
escalating costs, The Bulletin Index went from weekly to monthly
publication between June 1947 and January 1948.

In 1948, J.F. Hedding and J.D. Evans, both Pittsburgh businessmen,
bought out the last owner. Anson B. Campbell, a staff member since 1942,
became editor. With these new heads, the magazine also acquired a new
name, BI-the Bulletin Index, reflecting its popular nickname, BI.
A new format and new departments were implemented; however, the magazine
continued to lose money. Although it was a good advertising medium, the
publishers were unable to attract the necessary advertising revenue to
keep it afloat. An open letter was printed in the February 12, 1949
issue advising readers that "... the publication must stand on its own
financial feet; further, we know that it is impossible to continue under
present conditions."

A week of intense activity thus ensued in order to save the magazine.
Appeals were made over the radio and through letters and personal
contacts. Unable to stem the tide, BI published its final issue on
February 19, 1949. With its demise recorded on the new medium of
television, The Bulletin Index passed into history. "It furnished
Pittsburgh with a type of journalism that few other U.S. cities enjoyed,
and which died only when times and customs changed."

Source: "The Bulletin Index 1876-1949" in BI-the Bulletin
Index, February 19, 1949 (the final issue).